Persistent Emotions
by scifiromance
Summary: Since the abject failure of her holodeck simulations, Seven has tried to avoid all emotional stimulation. Unfortunately for her, some feelings are harder to suppress than others... Originally posted as a chapter of 'Seven's Sins', now re-edited as a one-shot. :)


**A/n: This is another little chapter from the 'Seven's Sins' archive I've turned into a one-shot. It's very short, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway. It's set a few days after the episode 'Human Error'.**

Icheb walked into Astrometrics, his steps unusually slow with trepidation as he saw Seven's head bent over the console and her back turned to him. He cleared his throat in an effort to make her aware of his presence but she didn't react. With a small sigh he said, "Seven?"

"Yes Icheb?" she responded in a clipped tone without allowing her eyes to stray from what she was doing.

"The Doctor sent me to relieve you." He told her levelly, despite seeing a muscle jump violently in her back as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

Seven saw the knuckles of her human hand go white as she clutched the console in an effort to control her sudden anger. With narrowed eyes and gritted teeth, she ground out, "If the Doctor has a credible medical reason that stops me from doing my duties, he should come and tell me himself."

Icheb was shocked by the glimmer of pain he saw in Seven's eyes before she was overtaken by anger and stepped back slightly, "Yes…" He agreed tentatively, it wasn't a lie, he _had_ found it a strange request for the Doctor to make of him, the hologram normally jumped at a chance to see Seven. He took a deep breath and looked at his mentor and surrogate mother figure with earnest concern, "He is only worried, we _both_ are, that you have been working too hard in recent days."

Seven barely flickered an eyelid before retorting coldly, "There is no such thing as working too hard."

She had hoped such a Borg influenced statement would throw him off but she had no such luck, he only frowned at her impatiently, "Seven, when you spoke to me four days ago of guilt I didn't inquire what caused it, and I won't now, but I _do_ know you are overcompensating!" He saw her face waver for a moment and smiled at her in sympathy, "You need only do a four hour regenerative cycle, and then I will allow you to return."

Seven bit her lip, suddenly longing for the days where Icheb wouldn't have thought of questioning her, but then he wouldn't be the individual you're proud of and you would've failed towards him, a small voice in her head reminded her and she sighed in defeat. "Fine." She muttered, stepping away from the console before she even slightly regretted her ungracious tone. It seemed enough for Icheb though, for he beamed in relief and practically shooed her out of her own lab and into the hall, where she stood in indecision. She really didn't have any desire to regenerate, the Doctor's orders were irrelevant to her, he wasn't aware of the torturous dreams that had been bouncing around her brain since she'd abandoned her simulations with the Chakotay hologram, of passionate kisses and arguments before he disappeared from her arms and she awoke with that aching loneliness she'd suffered for years but which that experience had made a hundred times more acute. She sighed bitterly, if only the Doctor could deactivate whatever it was in her brain that made her dream! No, she wouldn't regenerate, she decided, she'd eat instead, it was 2034 hours and she hadn't consumed anything for over fourteen hours. With that in mind she turned resolutely towards the Mess Hall.

To her dismay the Mess Hall was packed when she entered and Neelix had guided her to the table before she could change her mind and flee. Unhappily she replicated a nutritional supplement and sat down at the only empty table, thankfully in a dark and quiet corner. Sipping the supplement only made her stomach churn more so instead she listlessly sat back to do what she'd heard the Captain call "people watching". It was Tom and Harry's good natured, but loud, arguing which first drew her eye to them but it was watching Tom's face as B'Elanna entered and approached him that made Seven's eyes linger. His face lit up with a love so strong it was obvious even to Seven, and B'Elanna's response was equal to his as they embraced, his hand moving gently down to her rounded belly, a smile curving the couple's lips in tandem before Tom guided to her chair, his hand pressed lightly on the small of her back. Seven's eyes focused on B'Elanna's glowing face as her hand rested unconsciously on her stomach, wondering if the expectant mother would miss the presence of her daughter within her when she finally decided to come out into the world. It must be amazing, the sense of connection with another, never being truly alone… She wondered if her own mother had ever felt that for her and was surprised to find wetness forming under her lashes as she glanced down at her own slender figure, if, by some cruel miracle, a life sparked within her, it would no doubt be extinguished by the Borg tainted blood, which kept her body alive but her heart in a strangle hold… She gulped as self-pity and jealousy flooded her, pushing it back as her eyes once again scanned the room. She could see every aspect of human relationships in that room, friends, enemies, lovers, but when anyone's eyes fell on her, she was swept over, forgotten with only a glance of either acceptance or mere tolerance to remember. It wasn't fair! Didn't they realise she may have been an individual but she'd never experience the emotional freedom they could without thought?

"Seven?" The voice pierced through the bubble that surrounded her thoughts and her head snapped up to see Chakotay smiling down at her. She felt herself colour as she saw warmth in his dark eyes, but quickly scolded herself, he extended the warm hand of friendship to everyone, that's what made him an exemplary First Officer! She should stop even considering her own feelings for him, let alone wondering if they were mutual!

Chakotay didn't seem to see the turmoil washing over her, saying companionably, "I'm glad to see you out of Astrometrics, I was starting to wonder if you'd fallen through a spacial anomaly in there!"

Seven's head lowered in embarrassment, "I am sorry Commander, I have just been…busy…"

"Fixing the ship, I know." He replied gently, before an uncertainty that intrigued her crossed his face. "But that doesn't mean you can't take a break like the rest of us. Has your interest in cooking rekindled? I ask because Neelix is about to start another cooking lesson…"

Seven's brain screamed at her to reject him as she had before, but her voice disobeyed her, "Yes…It has." She found herself mumbling.

His face brightened, "Great!" He pulled out her chair and watched her shakily stand up and fall into step beside him as they headed towards the galley. "I'm relieved you said yes, because I have to admit that last time I hardly knew what any of the terms meant, you'll need to tell me behind Neelix's back so I don't look like a complete idiot…"

Seven almost jumped in surprise when she heard her own laugh ring in her throat, "I'll…I'll be happy to oblige you."

**A/n: PLEASE REVIEW! :D**


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